David Verity
}} David Verity (born 1982) is an American recording artist, songwriter, record producer, engineer, author and CEO. Verity began his music career by releasing music online on websites such as MP3.com when he was 16 years old, the success of which garnered him front-page coverage in the local newspaper. In 1999, he was the number one artist on Billboard's former online music ranking chart, Billboard Talent Net. In 2000 he was the #1 ranked contemporary R&B artist on MP3.com, and was the featured artist on Jimmy Iovine's Interscope Records and MTV / USA Network joint venture Farmclub. He would go on to release his first full-length physical album in 2003, and from there win multiple international songwriting awards, such as the John Lennon Songwriting Award two years in a row, and the USA Songwriting Award. Early life Verity was born in Modesto, CA. When he was a child, his parents noticed his unique ability to play music that he would hear on television and on the radio by ear on his fathers Casio keyboard. As he progressed toward adolescence, he had an overwhelming urge to release his artist expressions, and when he was 12, once remarked to his mother, "If I don't get a keyboard to record my ideas, I feel like I'm going to die." He never knew he could sing and never attempted to, until friends overheard him singing the songs from the movie The Lion King when he was in the 6th grade and began to gather around him to hear him sing them. He has credited music artist Garth Brooks with being his first musical inspiration. Having life-long battles with insomnia, depression, and circadian rhythm disruption, he never attended formal high school, which he has attributed to his lack of a healthy understanding of social dynamics, ultimately leading to him becoming socially reclusive and isolated. He would later say that this isolation afforded him the opportunity to spend far more time perfecting his craft than his peers, and it was because of this that he was able to excel in his musical talents so quickly. Career Verity released his first album on MP3.com in 1998 at the age of 15. The album was performed, written, recorded, and produced by him, as have every one of the albums he has ever released. Listen.com mentioned in an article that Verity was the next generation's Prince because of his ability to do everything on his entire record by himself, and from an early age. He also began rapping and releasing rap album via MP3.com during this same period. After releasing 3 albums online, he finally released his own independent album 'Ready or Not' in CD format nationwide in 2003. The album spawned the single "Unconditional (Thankful Pt. II)" which was played in heavy rotation daily on local radio station KWIN in Stockton, CA. In 2004, he worked closely with Kedar Massenburg's team at Motown who was handling management duties for him which resulted in talks with Ryan "R-Les" Leslie of NextSelection and Corey Latif Williams about doing a tour. After Kedar's team left Motown, talks subsided and no promotion ever took place for the album. His next album was 2007's 'The Foundation', which Blues and Soul magazine rated an 8 out of 10. In 2010, Verity was approached by Universal Music Group as well as JVC for a label deal for his Anomaly Music Group label, and a licensing deal for the distribution of his music, respectively. Both deals were finalized that same year, and albums were released by Universal in the United States and via JVC in Asia. Interestingly, both companies approached him via MySpace, and both within one day of each other. Verity has produced and written songs for other artists as well, such as singer Marvin Moore of the Product G&B , who won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 2000 with Carlos Santana for 'Maria Maria'. As a composer, he signed a contract with Getty Images Music to license his music for film and TV. In 2013, he performed alongside Jon B, Eric Bellinger, Ginuwine, and Q Parker from 112 for a benefit concert by Jamhouse Live that is scheduled for DVD release. References Category:Living people Category:1982 births Category:American male musicians